Great British Nuclear - UK's Push To Include Nuclear Energy

[MrRockliffe]

Jeremy Hunt today announced that Nuclear Energy will be considered a green energy source.

This will make it easier/cheaper/more lucrative to invest in nuclear energy in the UK, resulting in better uptake and investment in the technology.



This is, in my opinion, an excellent thing. A few important things to note:

• It is NOT replacing sustainable sources such as solar and wind
• Target of 25% of energy production by 2050
• Competitions for small-scale reactors to go live soon

Sustainable energy sources are excellent, and are getting increasingly cheap & efficient. However, they are not entirely compatible with our energy use demands. Hence, we need to find a balance and supplement it with other energy sources.

At the moment, we're using coal and gas.


Nuclear energy has a considerably higher safety record compared to coal and gas. In fact, based on data available, it's the safest energy source in the world, in terms of deaths per TWh.

Video here to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3znG6_vla0




Having an abundance of cleaner energy will open up doors to many other things too, including hydrogen-powered vehicles.



What are your thoughts on nuclear energy? Are you excited to have extra limbs? Do you prefer climate change?

 

[MrRockliffe]

Hopefully this doesn't get rolled back when Labour get in.

One would hope the "winner" will be a British firm ala Rolls Royce.

Hoping so, Rolls Royce are doing an amazing job with their development

 

[MrRockliffe]

There is absolutely nothing green about nuclear energy, quite the opposite in fact, it is a great threat to the environment.

What makes you say that?

 

[MrRockliffe]

This is about 20 years too late.

I completely agree, but surely it's better to be late than not at all?

 

[MrRockliffe]

Windscale, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima ... the list goes on.

I agree - these are some of the most publicised events in history.

The most recent of which was more than 10 years ago, caused by poor design and a natural disaster.

In the US, in excess of 100,000 coal mining related deaths have occurred in the last century.


There has been one death related to the Fukushima disaster, by comparison.




While I do understand your point of view, and appreciate your opinion, I fear it has been distorted by the fact the media have covered more nuclear-related incidents compared to other forms of energy, due to the fact it sells better.